Electric cigar-lighter.



- No. 668,708. 1 Patented .Feb. 26,1901.

6. A; BERNHARDT. v

v ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER.

A lication filed Jan. 15, 1900.

' manual.) F o 57 O UNrrEn STATES PATENT Genres.

CHARLES A. BERNHARDT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ELECTRIC CIGAR-LIGHTER;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,708, dated February 26, 190i.

Application filed January 16, 1900. Serial No. 1.429. \NO model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BERN- HARDT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Cigar-Lighters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric igniters for use in connection with cigar-lighters where an igniting fluid is used, and has for its object to produce a device that is simple in construction and positive in its operation; and to this end the invention consists in the use of a manually-operated rotary disk carrying a series of spring-contacts forming one terminal of an electric circuit and adapted in the operation of the device to make and break contact with the wick-tube forming the other terminal of an electric circuit, and thus ignite the saturated wick, a different spring-contact being used for each successive operation.

The invention further consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts, as more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the device with the back cover removed and showing the base in vertical central section. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section on line a; m, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is aplan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the rotary disk, showing the contact-pieces. -Fig. 5 is a section on line y y, Fig. 2.

In the drawings I have shown my igniter in use as an electric cigar-lighter, in which A is the cigar-lighter proper, mounted upon a suitable base B,containing the usual batteries and spark-coil, all connected in the usual manner, and having the two terminals A B, connected to the metallic frame A and to the metallic upright or support for the rotary contact-disk, respectively, so that the metallic frame acts as one branch of the electric circuit and the metallic operating parts as the other, each branch being suitably insulated from the other. Secured in a circular opening in the front of the supporting-frame A is the reservoir 0, preferably formed of a single casting and'haviiig the wick-tube a and outer wall I) integrally formed therewith, while the sheet-metal plate cforms the back of the reservoir.

dis a fill-opening for the reservoir, and e is a light metal tube secured within the cast wick-tube a and of slightly-greater length.

.1 preferably put holes I) in the outer wall I) of the reservoir, so that the necessary amount of air will be admitted into the casing for perfect combustion. The rear face of the wicktube is cut away, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the wick is exposed, and to the side of the wick is secured the contact-plate f.

Dis a block of wood or other insulating material secured to the back of the frame or casingA ,and E is a metallic arm vertically secured thereto, forming the supporting means for the moving parts. F is a stub-shaft extending on opposite sides of said vertical arm, and on the forward side of which is journaled the rotary disk G, carrying a series of spring-contacts on one side thereof near its outer edge, preferably eight in number. These spring-contacts are preferably formed by means of coil-springs h, sleeved on the screws 71, screwed into 'the projections j, integrally formed on the front face of the rotary disk, one end of the springs being in contact with the disk, while the other end is adapted to strike the contact-plate f in the operation of the parts against the tension of the spring h.

The rotary disk G has a series of notches is out into its periphery of equal number to the spring-contacts and equidistant between said contacts, and Z is a spring-dog secured to. the end of the block D and adapted to engage with said notches to lock the disk in position while the operating-lever is being retracted.

H is a lever (preferably made of wood or any other insulating material) pivotally secured on the stub-shaft F in rear of the disk and having a retracting-spring m connected to one end thereof, while to the other end is connected a suitable handle n, projecting out through the circular slot 0, formed in the casing. I indicates notches or ratchet-teeth cutin the rear face of the rotary disk, and a suitable spring-dog 'r' on the lever H will engage with said ratchet-teeth, and as the handle 0 is depressed the disk will be caused to revolve oneeighth of a revolution, thus drawing one of the spring-contacts across the contact-plate, and as the circuit is broken the spark. will ignite the saturated wick.

J is a rectangular opening formed in the outer wall of the reservoir directly over the wick-tube, and K is a lever pivotally secured in the rear of the face-plate and projecting with its forward end out through a slot formed therein, said lever carrying a suitable damper or closure j for said opening, while its rear end is connected to the lever H by means of a connection go, so that when said lever is depressed the lid for said opening will be raised through the medium of the connectingrod p and lever K, and when the lever H is released the opening will be closed simultaneously therewith and the flame extinguished.

In practice the leverH is held by the spring m in the normal position shown and the electric circuit is open; but by pressing down on the handle n until it strikes the fixed stop or finger piece n, which is placed at the lower end of the slot 0, one of the contacts of the rotary disks will make and break the electric circuit and light the lamp by an electric spark passing over the exposed side of the wick. Upon the release of the handle at the lever returns to its normal position and the damper j extinguishes the light, while the disk G remains friction-ally locked in place against accidental displacement in either direction by the engagement of the spring-dog Z into the V-shaped notches 7c of the disk. It is a common fault with this class of lighters that the least draft of air will blow the flame out; but I have overcome this fault, as it will be seen that in my construction the outer wall I) of the lamp surrounds and incloses the rear portion of the lamp which has the wick-tube, and forms, in connection with the frame A an outer casing which incloses the wick-tube and all the operating parts, and thus screens the flame, which obtains air for combustion through the openings 1). Ihe front portion of the lamp projects outside, which gives access tothefill-opening. Anotheradvantageisthat in my construction the spark ignites the exposed side of the wick. The dropping of any cigar-ashes on top of the wick will not prevent it from igniting, and the electrode f is not likely to become covered with tarry products of combustion, which interfere with the spark.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In an electrical lamplighter, the combination of a lamp having a wick-tube cut away on one side to expose a portion of the side of the wick adapted to form the fixed terminal of an electric circuit and a movable electrode constituting the other terminal and projecting into proximity to said exposed portion of the wick to light the same by causing a spark in making and breaking the electric circuit with said wick-tube at the exposed side of the wick.

2. In an electrical lamplighter, the combination of a lamp having a wick-tube cut away on one side to expose a portion of the side of the wick, a plat-e as fsecured to said wicktube and projecting laterally therefrom in proximity to said exposed portion of the wick and constituting one terminal of an electric circuit and a movable electrode constituting the other terminal and projecting into proximity to the platef and adapted to light the wick on the exposed side on making and breaking the electric circuit.

3. In an electric lamplighter, the combination of the lamp G formed with an outer wall I) projecting over and surrounding the rear portion of the lamp and the wick-tube formed thereon, the supporting-frame A having an opening in front in which said lamp is secured and forming in connection therewith an outer inclosing casing, an electric circuit having fixed and movable electrodes within said outer casing and adapted to light the lamp by making and breaking the electric circuit and a damper set in an opening in the outer wall b above the wick-tube and provided with means for conjointly operating, it by the movement of the movable electrode.

4. In an electric lamplighter, the combination of the lamp 0 having a fill-opening on its front portion and a wick-tube on its rear portion, an outer wall 1) extending around and over said rear portion and the wick-tube thereon, the metallic frame A supporting said lamp in an opening in its front wall and forming in connection therewith an outer inclosing casing for the lamp and the flame, means for lighting the lamp by making and breaking an electric circuit and a damper operating conjointly therewith set in an openingin the frame above the wick-tube.

5. In an electric igniting device, the combination with a lamp adapted to form a fixed terminal of an electric circuit, of a rotary disk mounted in proximity to the lamp and insulated therefrom, forming the other terminal of an electric circuit, a series of spring-com tacts carried by the disk and adapted to make and break contact with the fixed terminal in the movement of the disk, a manually-operated device for imparting movement to the disk comprising a lever pivoted on the shaft of the disk and having a retracting-spring, an outer frame or casing inclosing said disk and lamp an opening formed in said casing above the top of the wick and a damper in said opening mechanically operated by said lever to open and close said opening.

6. In an electric lamplighter, the combination of the lamp 0 formed with an outer wall projecting over and around its rear portion, and having its wick-tube screened by said outer wall, an opening in said outer wall above said wick-tube, a damper in said opening above the wick-tube, an electric circuit having one terminal at the wick-tube, a rotary disk mounted on the rear side of the lamp and carrying a series of electrodes adapted to light the lamp on makingand breaking the electric circuitwith the fixed terminal at the wick-tube, a frame having an opening in its front wall in which the lamp is supported and forming in connection therewith an outer casing inclosing said rotary disk and lamp and a lever pivotally secured within the casing and having actuating connection with the rotary disk and damper.

7. In an electric lamplighter, the combination of the lamp O formed with an outer wall projecting over and around its rear portion, and having its Wick-tube screened by said outer Wall an opening in said outer wall above said wicktube, a damper in said opening above the wick-tube, an electric circuit having one terminal at the wick-tube, a rotary disk mounted on the rear side of the lamp and carrying a series of electrodes adapted to light the lamp on making and breaking the electric circuit with the fixed terminal at the wick-tube, a frame having an opening in its front wall in which the lamp is supported and forming in connection therewith an outer casing inclosing said rotary disk and lamp and a lever pivotally secured within the casing and having actuating connection with the rotary disk and damper, said lever having a handle projecting outwardly through a slot in the front Wall of the inclosing frame.

8. In an electric lamplighter, the combination of the lamp 0, the supporting-frame A forming in connection therewith an outer casing to screen the flame and inclose the operating parts of the lamp, an electric circuit having a wick-tube adapted to form a fixed terminal and a rotary disk mounted within the frame for its other terminal, a series of electrodes carried by said disk and adapted to make and break electric contact with the wick-tube and light the lamp, a lever pivoted at the back of the disk and having actuating connection therewith for moving the same in one direction, a handle on said lever projecting through a slot in the front of the supporting-frame, a retracting-spring for said lever, an opening in the outer casing abo"e the wicktube, a damper adapted to close said opening, and connection for operating said damper by the movement of the lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- CHARLES A. BERNHARDT.

Witnesses:

OTTO F. BARTHEL, J 0s. A. NoELKE. 

